Spongiocarpea.'] ^ chondeus. 221 



Poly ides rotundus, and was first correctly distinguished by 

 Ml . Griffiths, whose name it bears. It is found by Mrs. 

 Gulson at Exmouth. 



Genus LY. CHONDEUS, StacMonse, 



Gen. Char. Prond cartilaginous, dilating upwards into a flat, 

 nerveless, dichotomously divided frond, of a purplish or livid-red 

 colour, — Grev. Fructification: 1, prominent tubercles (nema- 

 thecia) composed of radiating filaments, whose lower articula- 

 tions are at length dissolved into spores ; 2, tetraspores collected 

 into sori immersed in the substance of the frond. — The name is 

 from a Greek work signifying cartilage. — Harvey. 



1. Chondrus crispus, Lijnghjje. (Plate IX. fig. 33, two 

 varieties of this very variable plant, natural size ; the larger 

 one with sort, containing tetraspores.) 



Hab. Rocks at low-water mark. Perennial. Spring. 

 Yery common and very variable. Turner figures ten, and 

 Lamouroux thirty-five varieties. 



At one time it was much in repute for furnishing by its 

 gelatine a liglit easily-digested food for invalids, and, as 

 the chief supply at first came from Carrageen in Ireland, it 

 was called Irish moss, or Carrageen. The market price at 

 one time was as high as 2-5. Qd. per lb. Had it continued 



